U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,837 discloses a connector for a fiber optic member which includes a ferrule in which the fiber optic member and protective jacket thereon is disposed with an exposed end of the fiber optic member extending along a front bore. Potting material is applied onto the exposed fiber optic member before or after the fiber optic member is inserted into the ferrule. The potting material begins to cure thereby partly retaining the fiber optic member in the ferrule while the crimping ring is crimped onto the ferrule which holds the parts in place while the potting material fully cures.
The use of potting material secures the fiber optic member in the ferrule, but it is messy, it is an extra step, and it takes time the cure. This is undesirable when terminations of fiber optic members need to be done at remote locations in the field and they need to be done quickly and easily.
According to the present invention, a connector for a fiber optic member comprises a ferrule in which is positioned an insert surrounding a section of the fiber optic member adjacent an exposed end of the fiber optic member, the exposed end extending along a foot bore of the ferrule. A crimping ring on the ferrule is controllably crimped thereon thereby moving arcuate sections of the insert into mechanical engagement with the fiber optic member with no or minimum deformation to the fiber optic member and securing the fiber optic member in the ferrule.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the fiber optic member with buffer material thereover can be encased in an inner jacket having woven fibers covering the inner jacket and an outer jacket thereover which constitutes a fiber optic cable for use in telecommunications. An outer crimping member is then used to crimp the woven fibers onto the ferrule adjacent the crimping ring and to crimp onto the outer jacket to terminate the fiber optic cable for joining ends of such cable together or for connecting the cable to a light-transmitting or sensing member.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of applying a connector to an end of a fiber optic member comprises the steps of placing an insert having arcuate sections onto the fiber optic member, inserting this assembly into a ferrule and controllably crimping a crimping ring on the ferrule thereby moving the arcuate sections into engagement with the fiber optic member thereby securing the fiber optic member to the ferrule.